LOCATION MONTREAL MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Oxyaquic Fragiorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Montreal cobbly fine sandy loam, on a northeast facing slope of 12 percent, in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oa--0 to 2 inches; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) well decomposed forest litter; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) cobbly fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many very fine to coarse roots; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; 1 percent boulders; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bhs--6 to 11 inches; dark brown (7.5YR3/3); cobbly fine sandy loam, moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine to coarse roots; ; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones, 1 percent boulders; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bs--11 to 20 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) cobbly fine sandy loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; few fine vesicular pores; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones, 1 percent boulders; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
(E/B)x--20 to 33 inches; about 55 percent brown (7.5YR 5/3) very cobbly loamy fine sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry (E), surrounding reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very cobbly fine sandy loam (Bt); moderate medium platy structure; very firm; few very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones, 1 percent boulders; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
(B/E)x--33 to 51 inches; about 65 percent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very cobbly fine sandy loam (Bt), surrounded by reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very cobbly loamy fine sand, pinkish gray (5YR 7/2) dry (E); moderate thick platy structure; firm; common fine and medium vesicular pores; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones, 1 percent boulders; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 35 inches thick)
E/B--51 to 80 inches; about 75 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/3) cobbly loamy fine sand, pinkish gray (5YR 7/2) dry (E); massive; friable; surrounding reddish brown (5YR 4/4) cobbly fine sandy loam (B); moderate medium platy parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones, 1 percent boulders; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Keweenaw County, Michigan; 1,375 feet north and 2,400 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 9, T. 58 N., R. 29 W.; Grant Township; USGS Lake Medora topographic quadrangle; lat. 47 degrees 26 minutes 04.48 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 59 minutes 34.58 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the fragipan ranges from 14 to 40 inches. Thickness of the solum ranges from 35 to 80 inches. The soil ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid above the glossic horizon and strongly acid to slightly acid in the rest of the profile. Gravel content ranges from 5 to 20 percent above the glossic horizons and 10 to 30 percent in the glossic horizon. Cobble content ranges from 10 to 30 percent above the glossic horizons and 15 to 45 percent in the glossic horizon. Stone content ranges from 1 to 10 percent and boulder content ranges from 0 to 2 percent throughout the profile. The volume of rock fragments averages from 16 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section and 35 to 60 percent in the glossic horizon.
Some pedons have an A horizon with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2. The A and E horizons are gravelly, very gravelly, cobbly or very cobbly analogues of very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, and loamy fine sand.
The Bhs and Bs horizons have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 3 or 4. The Bhs and Bs horizons are gravelly, very gravelly or cobbly and very cobbly analogues of very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, and loamy fine sand.
The E part of the 2(E/B)x, 2(B/E)x and 2E/B horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3. The E part is very cobbly loamy fine sand or very cobbly loamy very fine sand. The B part has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 4. The B part is very cobbly fine sandy loam or very cobbly very fine sandy loam. The fragipan horizon is very hard or extremely hard when dry and firm to extremely firm when moist.
When the 2C horizon is present, it has hue of 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4. It is gravelly, very gravelly, cobbly or very cobbly sandy loam or fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. Some pedons have 3CR horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are none. The closely related Champion soil has hues yellower than 7.5YR in the substratum and has mixed mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Montreal soils are on ground moraines and end moraines of Wisconsin age. They have formed in a loamy eolian mantle underlain by gravelly loamy or sandy till which appears to have been derived from the Portage Lake Lava Series. Slope ranges from 0 to 35 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 36 inches, and the mean annual air temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F. The local climate is affected by Lake Superior causing high snowfall.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dishno, Gratiot, Paavola, Sabattis, and Waiska soils. Dishno, Paavola, and the excessively drained Waiska soils are in landscape positions similar to those of the Montreal soils. The somewhat poorly drained Gratiot and poorly drained Sabattis soils are in depressions and drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is low to high, depending on slope. Permeability is moderate in the upper part, very slow in the fragipan, and moderate or moderately rapid in the lower part of the pedon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested with sugar maple, ironwood, basswood, red maple, red oak, balsam fir, paper birch, yellow birch, northern white cedar, white pine, and white spruce being the major species. Other areas were formerly pastured and are now idle.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, primarily on the Keweenaw Peninsula. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota; MLRA SSO 10-8 (Marquette, Michigan).
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Keweenaw County, Michigan, 2004. The source of the name is a river in Keweenaw County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
albic horizon - 2 to 6 inches (E horizon);
spodic horizon - 6 to 20 inches (Bhs and Bs horizons);
fragipan - 20 to 51 inches [(E/B)x and (B/E)x horizons];
glossic horizon - 20 to 80 inches [(E/B)x, (B/E)x and E/B horizons];
Oxyaquic feature - the soil is saturated within 40 inches for 20 or more consecutive days.
Only series status, responsibility, and scrivener's errors changed - 4/09.
ADDITIONAL DATA: For laboratory data on the typical pedon refer to pedon S00MI-083-002 from the NSSL.